Cool Weather Delays Wildflowers' Full Bloom

Paul McHugh, Chronicle Outdoors Writer

Published 4:00 am, Thursday, April 15, 1999

When arch-druid John Muir got to California, before he was seduced by the Sierras' "Range of Light," wildflowers snared his heart. April 1868 ended an intense rainy season. Muir saw Oakland hills quilted with "yellow and blue and white in endless variety. . .while the air was quivering with sunshine and lark song."

In our times, spring wildflowers still impress us with rainbow glory and intoxicating perfume. But, not as much. For example, the broad sea of gold and purple Central Valley blooms below Pacheco Pass where Muir waded has been replaced by drab green row crops.

Patches and pools of wildflowers which remain are still sought by people eager to glimpse nature in its spring finery. Prime zones are usually found in the California deserts and the Sierra foothills, as well as valleys and slopes of the Coast Range.

However, blooms are extremely weather- dependent, with coverage varying from year to year. El Nino storms last year created a riot of wildflowers, especially in deserts. This year, La Nina has been less generous. Deserts were deprived of the fall rains that literally lay groundwork for spring blooms.

In Northern California, a prolonged winter -- culminating in last week's string of chilly arctic storms -- suppressed spring blooms on the coast and in the foothills. Wildflower lovers should not despair, however. As warm sunshine finally kisses the slopes, quiescent buds should explode.

"Everything may come in the next few weeks," says Toni Fauver, author of two guidebooks to Sierra wildflower touring. "Shrubs and perennials will last longer. But the annuals that put on those big, gorgeous displays are just starting to get under way."

Jake Sigg, president of the California Native Plant Society, agreed cool weather has delayed the advance of spring, even in the Coast Range. "Normally, we see March as a prime month for coastal wildflowers," he says. "But this year, I'm guessing it will be more like late-April, early-May, especially for plants with bulbs."

Sigg warned that as warm weather arrives, those wishing to view wildflowers should hit the trail quickly. "Late rains make plants persist in a vegetative stage. But when it gets hot, they'll hurry through the bloom phase, trying to get seeds dispersed before they dry out. Gardeners call it 'bolting' when plants rush through the flowering process."

Sigg also pointed out that people should appreciate wildflowers for more than visual appeal. "What you see is only the hint of a complex, multilayered ecosystem, our great natural heritage in California," Sigg said. "Insects, birds and plants are all part of that. For example, up on San Bruno Mountain, just south of San Francisco, the endangered mission blue butterfly depends on the flowering of silver mat lupines to survive.

"However, that plant is under attack by nonnative weeds like gorse and broom. More and more native plants disappear every year. Saving them is important because our own survival -- and even our economy -- is bound up with their fate." NOTE: For information about the California Native Plant Society, write to 1722 J Street, No. 17, Sacramento, CA 95814, or check out the Web site www.cnps.org.

CALIFORNIA WILDFLOWER INFORMATION

-- SIERRA FOOTHILLS -- Good wildflower sites are found on both sides of the Gold Country's Highway 49, from Oakhurst to Grass Valley. Currently, the Red Hill Road area near Sonora and Bridgeport State Park area near Grass Valley are flourishing (according to guidebook author Toni Fauver), but other areas should do well as the region warms. Start at lower elevations to the west of 49, and work your way eastward. Source: "Wildflower Walks and Roads of the Sierra Gold Country," by Toni Fauver, available from Comstock Bonanza Press for $16.50. (530) 273-6220. When spring reaches higher elevations, use "Wildflower Walking in Lakes Basin of the Northern Sierra," same author and publisher, $15. These books include ample flora identification data.

-- COAST RANGE -- Think of open areas without many trees, and relatively moist geographical features like draws and creek canyons. In the North Bay: trails of the Golden Gate Recreation Area, especially in Marin, west slopes of Mount Tamalpais, and the grassy bluffs of Point Reyes National Seashore. San Francisco Peninsula: Edgewood County Park and Preserve in Redwood City, San Bruno and Montara Mountains. East Bay: units of the East Bay Regional Parks, particularly the Inspiration Point Trail in Tilden Regional Park and the Canyon View Trail in Sunol Regional Wilderness; also, Bethany Reservoir State Recreation Area in Alameda County, and canyons of Mount Diablo State Park in Contra Costa County.

-- MOJAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE -- Desert wildflowers may be scant this year, but cactus are detonating their bright, crimson and yellow blossoms. Look at it this way: Spring's a good time to cruise the desert, solitude will be easy to find, and when we get another great desert wildflower season in some future year, you'll already have the scene scouted.

California's newest desert park, the Mojave Preserve, had a rocky launch. Politicos fighting the park gave it a laughable operating budget of $1 for its first year. Now funds are up to $2 million, and 35 National Park Service personnel are on site. The 1.6 million-acre preserve has two visitor centers: at Baker (760) 733-4040; and Needles (760) 326-6322. There are two campgrounds, a few hiking trails and 1,200 miles of road, many of them suitable only for four-wheel drive.

Mojave's management plan emphasizes leaving the place undeveloped, to enhance a sense of adventure and discovery. Restoration of the historic Kelso Depot is one of the few improvements scheduled. For a good assist in finding your way around, try the new Mojave National Preserve map by Trails Illustrated of National Geographic Maps. This map is very complete and detailed, yet easy to read. It's so good, rangers in the park use it. Available for $9.95. (800) 962-1643, or www.trailsillustrated.com.

-- ANZA-BORREGO STATE PARK -- This 600,000-acre park to the east of San Diego is famed for riotous flower blooms which attract visitors from across the nation during a 2-4 week high point, usually in March. This year, there wasn't much of one. But thorny whips of ocotillo still sport a few blossoms; the agave and cacti are flowering, as are indigo bush, creosote bush and brittlebush. The park has 500 miles of dirt roads, 110 miles of trail, two developed and two undeveloped campgrounds, and a visitor center in Borrego Springs. (760) 767-3302.

Native plant buffs benefit from a wildflower hotline, (760) 767-4684. There's also a special notification program. Send in a stamped, self-addressed postcard, and park staffers will return it to you a few weeks before the next anticipated bloom peak. Send it to: Wildflowers, ABDSP, 200 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA 92004.

-- JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK -- This park's 800,000 acres straddle a transition zone between the Colorado Desert (low) and the Mojave Desert (higher), about 140 miles east of Los Angeles. It often has good wildflower displays. This year the show seems limited to cactus, agave, and the spectral Joshua Trees themselves. The park is also popular for its many hiking trails, climbing sites, pleasant campgrounds and spectacular rock formations. It had 1.4 million visitors last year, an increase of 15 percent over 1997 -- the biggest jump of any park in the Pacific West region. Its visitor center is in the town of 29 Palms. (760) 367-5500.